Junction of intersecting sheet metal supporting members



y 15, 1 5 A. HOROWITZ ET AL 2,745,522

JUNCTION OF INTERSECTING SHEET METAL SUPPORTING MEMBERS Filed Sept. 24, 195] 2 Sheets-Sheet l A JNVENTORS ALEXANDRA HOROW/TZ M F/M/vs TERM/1A7" Att orhey May 15, 195$ A. HOROWITZ ET Ag 2,745,522

JUNCTION OF INTERSECTING SHEET METAL SUPPORTING MEMBERS Filed Sept. 24 195] 2 Sheets-Shae? 2 fifif- INVENTOR- ALE/(ANDRE Mme/M72 4 FAA/v5 TARMAAT United States Patent JUNCTION OF INTERSECTING SHEET lVIETAL SUPPORTING MEMBERS Alexandre Horowitz and Frans Termaat, Amersfoort,

Netherlands, assigno'rs to N. 'V. Ontwikkelingmaatschappij Polynorm, Amsterdam, Netheriands, a limited company of the Netherlands Application September 24, 1951', Serial No. 248,025

Claims priority, application Netherlands June 18, 1951 4 Claims. c1. I836)' This invention relates to a junction of intersecting metal supporting members and more specifically to a junction of profiled or shaped bars, such as beams, studs and the like, formed of sheet metal and lying with their fiat web portions against each other.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a junction of this kind which is very strong and easy to realize, thereby aifording the best guarantee that the thin sheet material of the members at the intersection is most favorably stressed, so as to avoid any risk of tearing out the fastening holes provided at the joints.

A further object of the invention is to provide each joint in the said junction with a flat connecting disk embedded in a cavity formed by depressions in the sheet material of the supporting members, so that the transmission of the forces occurring in the joint is eifected along the periphery of said disc and the local stresses are considerably decreased.

A still further object of the invention is to enclose the depressions in the sheet material in cap shaped closing members, so as to clamp said sheet material firmly between the connecting disc and a closing member.

Another object of the invention is to make the joints easily detachable by using screw bolts as fastening members.

Still another object of the invention is to realize the said junction in such a manner that the bolt or fastening member is adapted to hold a supporting member firmly between the connecting disc and one cap shaped closing member, irrespective of the other supporting member and the closing member belonging thereto.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings in which an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated by way of example.

Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the junction of a floor beam intersected by a vertical stud, viewed in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line IIlI in Fig. 1.

The illustrated embodiment relates to the junction of the webs of two thin-walled profiled or shaped bars, each having a cross sectional shape of an elongated U with a long web portion and short flanges, the ends of which are bent inwards at right angles. The bar 1 extends in the horizontal direction, so that its flanges 1a, 1b are horizontal, whereas the other profilated bar 2 extends in vertical direction, its flanges 2a, 2b being disposed vertically. The bar 1 is intended as a floor beam and the bar 2 as a stud of a building construction. The webs of the bars 1 and 2 are secured together by means of the junction hereinafter described.

The webs of the bars 1 and 2 (as seen in Fig. 2) are each provided with a depression 3 and 4, respectively, formed in the sheet material, said depressions opening toward each other, so as to constitute a space or cavity in which is closely fitted a circular disk 5 having a central screw threaded aperture 6.

2. The depression 3 is enclosed by a closing member 0': cap 7 and the depression 4' is enclosed by a similar cap 8, said caps being provided with a plain bore 9 and 10, respectively. The bores 9 and 10, the central aperture 6 of the disk 5 and fastening holes provided in the depres sions 3 and 4 are traversed by a screw bolt 11 having a head 12 and engaging with its screw threads the corresponding screw threads in the aperture 6 of the disk 5.

The cap 7 forms part of a strut 13 having an inclined portion 14. integral with a horizontal leg 15 resting upon a girder 16 having in cross section the shape of an inverted gutter. The leg 15 of the strut 13 is secured to said girder 16 by means of bolts 17. The inclined portion 14 of the strut 13 is provided with pressed reinforcing ribs 18 and; with an elongated aperture 19.

The other cap 8 forms part of a strut 20- substantially of the same shape as the strut 13'. This strut 20 has also an inclined portion 21 provided with reinforcing ribs 22 and an elongated aperture 23. The lower extremity of the inclined portion 21 has a bent edge 24 fitting into a bent portion 25 of the horizontal leg 15 of the strut 13 and held therein by one or more bent lips 26.

The connection between the bars 1 and 2 is effected in the following manner:

The strut 13 is secured to the girder 16 or to another suitable foundation. Then the bar 1 is adjusted (said bar may, of course, rest with its lower flange 1a upon the leg 15), whereby the depression 3 is accommodated in the cap member 7 and the bore 9 of said cap member coincides with the fastening hole provided in the depression 3. Thereupon the disk 5 is put into the depression 3 with its central aperture 6 facing the fastening hole. Then the screw bolt 11 is screwed in to such an extent that the head 12 of the bolt lies against the outer side of the cap 7.

After having vertically adjusted the bar 2, so that the fastening hole provided in the depression 4 engages the screw bolt 11, the strut 20 is mounted with its lower end 24 fitting within the bent edge 25, after which said strut 20 is swung towards the bar 2, until the free extremity of the bolt 11 is engaged by the bore 10 in the cap 8. Said bore 10 has an elongated shape, so as to enable it to be swung upon the bolt. Finally a nut 27 is screwed upon the free extremity of the bolt 11 and firmly tightened.

Due to the apertures 19 and 23 in the struts 13 and 20, the foundation bolts 17 remain easily accessible, so that said bolts can be always adjusted afterwards.

Although the junction hereinbefore described is applicable to all sorts of sheet metal supporting members, it will be especially useful for connecting together bars of the kind disclosed in the abandoned co pending U. S. patent application, Serial No. 248,022, entitled: Profilated Bars of Sheet Meta filed on September 24, 1951, in the names of Alexandre Horowitz and Frans Termaat.

What we claim is:

1. A junction of intersecting thin sheet metal members having flat portions of the thin sheet metal facially abutting against each other, said junction comprising in combination: a cup shaped depression in the flat portion of the one member and a similar depression formed in the flat portion of the other member, said depressions facing each other and defining a cylindrical space between their bottoms; a central hole in the bottom of each of said cup shaped depressions; a flat disk fitting closely in said space defined by the depressions, said disk having a central hole; two caps of thicker metal, each arranged outside one of the cup shaped depressions and closely fitting around the related depression and against the adjoining flat portion of the sheet metal member, and each of said caps having a central opening; and a fastening member traversing the openings of said caps, the holes of said depressions and the central hole of said disk, and holding the caps, the depressions and the disk closely together, radial clearance being'provided between said fastening member and said holes-of the depressions and openings of the caps so that shearing loads are transmitted between said sheet metal members through said disk and said caps prevent deformation of said depressions under the shearing loads. a

2. A junction according to claim 1; wherein said fastening member is a screw bolt having at one of its extremities a head bearing against the outer face of one of the caps, the other extremity of the bolt being provided with a nut bearing against the outer face of the other of said caps.

3; A junction at the intersection of a beam and stud, said beam and stud each being formed by a profiled, thin sheet metal bar and having fiat web portions facially latter to prevent deformation thereof, a screw bolt traversing said caps, depressions and disk with radial clearance between said screw bolt and at least said caps and depressions, said screw bolt having a head on one end bearing axially against one of said caps and a nut threaded on the other end portion of said screw bolt bearing axially against the other of said caps so that said disk remains in said cylindrical space and transmits shearing loads between said beam and stud through the increased loaded area defined by the side walls of said depressions.

4. A junction according to claim 3; wherein said disk is formed with a threaded central aperture threadably receiving said screw bolt to center the latter and maintain the radial clearance between the screw bolt and said caps and depressions.

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS 

